This disclosure relates to solvents containing 1,4-pentanediol or ketals having at least one hydroxyl group and their use in a variety of compositions, including cleaning compositions, coating compositions, such as paints and water reducible coatings, stripper and removal compositions, fragrance and personal care compositions, as well as surfactant compositions.
Many formulations make use of certain solvents or co-solvents to enhance their performance resulting from the solvents' ability to either act as soil dissolution aid and/or to aid in the rapid dispersion of actives or surfactants employed for the desired behavior. Such molecules are also called “coupling solvents” or “hydrotropes.” In practice, solvent selection is guided by considerations such as solubility, solubilization activity, reactivity, volatility, toxicity, environmental profile, and cost.